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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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This festival is more than a little fishy

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Folks got their fill of fish and festivities at the Pioneer Florida Museum’s first Mullet & Music Festival on Nov. 12.

Mark and Jenny Hanna, of Dade City, are impressed with the generous portions served at the Mullet & Music Festival (Richard K. Riley/Photos)
Mark and Jenny Hanna, of Dade City, are impressed with the generous portions served at the Mullet & Music Festival
(Richard K. Riley/Photos)

The event began at 10 a.m., and continued until 4 p.m.

It featured fried mullet and smoked mullet dinners, musical entertainment and assorted activities, including a smoked mullet competition, a mullet head competition and mullet toss.

For $10, diners could enjoy a plate of fish, grits, greens and hushpuppies.

For those not particularly fond of fish, festivalgoers could purchase hamburgers, hot dogs and French fries.

Mullet smokes on a grill at the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village’s first Mullet & Music Festival.
Mullet smokes on a grill at the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village’s first Mullet & Music Festival.

There was a beer and wine garden, too.

Admission to the event was included in the admission charge to the museum and village, which features exhibits and artifacts from the pioneer era.

The Pioneer Florida Museum and Village, at 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Florida’s pioneer heritage.

Published November 16, 2016

Rocco DeSimmon, of Wesley Chapel, takes a photo of the antique fire engines on the museum grounds. 
Rocco DeSimmon, of Wesley Chapel, takes a photo of the antique fire engines on the museum grounds.
Joseph Alexander, of Dade City, provides the alternative, fat-fried mullet. Customers could choose smoked or fried mullet for the same price.
Joseph Alexander, of Dade City, provides the alternative, fat-fried mullet. Customers could choose smoked or fried mullet for the same price.

Approvals recommended for Connected City pilot

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The framework for the Connected City corridor is falling into place.

Members of Pasco County’s development review committee recommended approval of new documents establishing fees that will be paid by developers, a utilities service plan and a master roadway plan.

State legislators approved the Connected City in 2015, and selected Pasco as the site for a 10-year pilot program to create communities and new jobs based on cutting edge technology, including gigabit Internet speeds.

The initiative also envisions alternative transportation, including lanes for golf carts, and trails and paths for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Pasco County commissioners will make the final decisions on implementing rules for the state-approved special development district, which covers about 7,800 acres in rural northeast Pasco.

Boundaries generally are Interstate 75, State Road 52, Overpass Road and Curley Road.

That final vote and public hearing, is tentatively scheduled for March 7.

But, the Pasco County Commission is scheduled to have a Dec. 6 workshop to discuss Connected City.

Though the state’s pilot program is for 10 years, build out in the district would take another 40 years, with completion expected around 2065.

Preliminary data from the county suggests that in the first phase, from 2016 to 2040, Connected City could generate on average about $20 million a year in property tax revenues. From 2040 to 2065, the annual haul in property tax revenues could be as much as $30 million a year.

The net affect on the county’s budget – balancing expenses and revenues – is not known yet, but county staff members are crunching data.

Within the district’s boundaries, it is up to property owners and developers if they want to participate in Connected City.

Rules provide an opt-in choice that requires an application process, and a mandated set of requirements and responsibilities.

Overall developers opting in would pay additional mobility fees and surcharges, but also receive incentive credits for such items as building alternative traffic lanes for golf carts and bicyclists.

Estimates peg infrastructure costs, including roads and new schools, at about $329 million over the 50-year time frame.

“We weren’t going to force anybody to participate in Connected City,” said Earnest Monaco, the county’s assistant planning and development director. “If they did nothing, they could continue business as usual.”

Oversight of projects would be transferred from the county’s development review committee and planning commission to a seven-member management committee. County commissioners would still make final approvals.

The goal is to speed up the process for land use changes, rezoning and permitting.

Members would include the District 1 county commissioner, three people appointed by Metro Development Group, one property owner not part of Connected City, one school district appointee, and a county staff member named by the county administrator.

Metro Development is partnering with Pasco on the initial projects in Connected City. The company plans to build a mixed-use community at Epperson Ranch, which will have a 7-acre manmade “Crystal Lagoon” as a featured centerpiece.

During public comment, concerns were raised about whether incentives given to Connected City property owners would be unfair to property owners who choose not to participate.

“I’m not sure how this is supposed to be,” said Randy Maggard, who owns property in the district. “Is this really a level playing field. That’s my concern. Is it fair and equitable for everybody at the end of the day?”

Attorney Joel Tew, who represents Metro Development Group, said data shows “there’s more than a level playing field.”

Residents along Kenton Road — which under the road plan would be expanded from two lanes to four lanes — were split in their support for Connected City.

Resident Jennifer McCarthy said she worried about losing the rural character of a two-lane road where residents enjoy open spaces.

Todd Stevenson, who also lives on Kenton, said he understands why developers are focused on this area of northeast Pasco.

“It’s largely undeveloped,” he said. “Of course, residents who live there are pretty upset. They like the peace and quiet of the unfiltered space. We have a lot of open space. We enjoy that. It (Connected City) potentially negates why we are there.”

But, Chris Joy said he welcomed Connected City even though he would lose land to the widening of Kenton Road.

His property fronts Kenton for nearly a mile, but he said, “It’s something in my opinion whose time has come. It’s not very pedestrian friendly. We’re very much in support of having this despite that our property is going to be split in two.”

Published November 16, 2016

Let’s talk turkey — a few pointers about holiday foods

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When the holidays arrive, you usually find families and friends gathering around the dining room table. That is precious time that we get to spend catching up on each other’s lives and eat until we are stuffed — like a turkey!

Each holiday usually comes with some sort of tradition and favorite foods of the season. For most, it would not be Thanksgiving without a turkey, but where did this custom begin?

TitleTraditionally, the main dish was a roast goose, and since they would migrate, they were only available around certain holidays/times of the year like Thanksgiving/harvest time, Christmas/Hanukkah/winter solstice, and were an important part of many ancient celebrations and rituals.

Just like turkey or chicken, a goose is a white meat. However, its breast meat is darker than a chicken or turkey breast, with a stronger flavor. That’s because geese fly and develop more breast muscles, while turkeys and chickens are raised for food, and don’t exercise their wings as much.

Although chicken/turkey/goose are all considered “white meat” and similar in nature, goose consumption (one-third pound per person per year) has declined and turkey has risen (17.5 pounds per person per year).

So, now that we’ve talked a little turkey, let’s focus on some food safety tips.

To have a happy and safe holiday meal this year, be sure to follow these food safety tips.

  • Thawing: Thaw your chicken/turkey/goose in the refrigerator for two to three days, depending on the size and weight of the bird. Or, you can use a sink of cold water for the thawing, but be sure to change every 30 minutes. (If you run out of time, you can thaw in the microwave, but you must immediately start cooking to keep bacteria from multiplying.) A turkey can be kept frozen up to a year for best quality, but thawing a turkey correctly is very important for food safety concerns. Do not leave turkey at room temperature for more than two hours because bacteria grow rapidly in the “danger zone” (40°F and 140°F).
  • Cross-contamination: Bacteria on raw poultry can contaminate anything that it touches. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands, utensils, and work surfaces to prevent the spread of bacteria to your food and family.
  • Leftovers: Nontyphodial Salmonella is the second most common bacterial cause of foodborne illness in the United States. (Nontyphodial Salmonella is associated with undercooked poultry and cross-contamination). Clostridium perfringens is the third most common cause of illness, due to failure to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold. This cause of illness increases during the holiday season, when meat and poultry account for 92 percent of foodborne illness outbreaks. So, it is important to refrigerate leftovers in the refrigerator at 40°F or below within two hours of preparation and serving — to prevent food poisoning.
  • Stuffing: It is best not to stuff your turkey, but rather in a casserole dish to make sure it is thoroughly cooked. If you do choose to stuff the turkey, do so just before cooking and use a quick-temp food thermometer to make sure the stuffing’s center reaches 165°F.
  • Cooking: Preheat the oven to at least 325°F (I prefer 350°F). Place the completely thawed turkey with the breast side up in a roasting pan (2 inches to 2-1/2 inches deep). Cooking times will vary depending on how many pounds the turkey weighs. To make sure the turkey is done, check by using a rapid-rise food thermometer inserted into the thickest portions of the breast, thigh, and wing joint until it reaches 165°F. Let the turkey stand 20 minutes before removing all stuffing from the cavity and carving the meat.

Betsy Crisp is an Extension Family & Consumer Sciences agent and a licensed dietitian for the University of Florida/IFAS. She is based in Pasco County and can be reached at .

Fall Stuffing Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups whole wheat bread, cubed
3 cups white bread, cubed
1 pound ground turkey sausage
1 cup onion, chopped
¾ cup celery, chopped
2 ½ teaspoons dried sage
1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 apple (golden delicious or Granny Smith), cored and chopped
¾ cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup low-sodium turkey stock or low sodium chicken bouillon
4 tablespoons butter/margarine, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a large sheet pan. Bake 5-7 minutes until lightly toasted. Add to large mixing bowl.

In a large skillet, cook sausage and onions over medium heat while stirring/breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. Add the celery, sage, rosemary and thyme. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes to blend flavors.

Pour sausage mixture over bread cubes in bowl. Add chopped apple, dried cranberries, parsley and mix well. Pour turkey stock and melted butter and mix lightly. Fill a buttered casserole dish (or allow to cool and stuff turkey loosely just before cooking).

Another recipe option for a smaller gathering (cooking a turkey breast in a slow-cooker)

Fresh-Herbed Turkey Breast
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter/margarine, softened
¼ cup fresh sage, minced
¼ cup fresh tarragon, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 split turkey breast (3 to 4 pounds)
1 ½ Tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:
Thaw turkey breast (1-2 days in refrigerator), if frozen.

Remove skin and discard. Combine butter, sage, tarragon, garlic, pepper and salt. Rub butter mixture all over breast.

Place turkey breast in electric slow-cooker. Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours, on high 4-5 hours, or until turkey reaches 165°F on a quick-temp food thermometer and no longer pink in the center.

Transfer turkey breast to serving platter; cover with foil to keep warm.

Turn slow-cooker to high; slowly whisk in cornstarch to thicken cooking liquid. When the sauce is smooth and thick, pour over turkey breast. Slice and serve.

Makes 6-8 servings

Published November 16, 2016

Refreshed by a reunion of old friends

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I was confronted recently by the enduring question posed by the Clash and memorably highlighted in an ad for Choice hotels: Should I stay or should I go?

I’m talking about the King High School Class of 1971’s 45-year reunion.

Brenda Nichols Pressly and Jim Evans enjoy themselves at the King High School Class of 1971 reunion. (Tom Jackson/Photos)
Brenda Nichols Pressly and Jim Evans enjoy themselves at the King High School Class of 1971 reunion.
(Tom Jackson/Photos)

It’s always easier to invent reasons not to go, of course. What’ll we talk about? Haven’t I heard all their stories? Haven’t I told all of mine? Don’t I see the people I care about from time to time anyway? I didn’t lose those 20 pounds. I really could use that weekend catching up on, I don’t know, something.

A further wrinkle cropped up a month or so ago: Some of my work for the late, lamented Tampa Tribune had made the finals in the Florida Press Club’s annual contest; the awards banquet announcing the fate of those efforts (in commentary and feature writing) was set, in St. Augustine, for the second night of our reunion.

My decision, then, wasn’t merely binary: Should I go or should I stay? It was tertiary: Should I go here or should I go there, or should simply chuck it all, put my feet up and stay home?

In the end, for me there was only one viable option.

I went to my high school reunion. After all, they come around only every five years. And, truth be told, as one of those pushing for it when some of the usual organizers thought of calling it off, I’d crossed the point of no return ages ago.

From left: Debbi Stevens Haverty, Vilia Johnson, Herb Fluitt, Marsha Spain Fuller, Dennis Asbel, Lynn Munoz Murray and Nancy Ringelspaugh Johnson pose for a group shot at the 45th reunion of the King High School Class of
From left: Debbi Stevens Haverty, Vilia Johnson, Herb Fluitt, Marsha Spain Fuller, Dennis Asbel, Lynn Munoz Murray and Nancy Ringelspaugh Johnson pose for a group shot at the 45th reunion of the King High School Class of

It’s not like sticking by my commitment wasn’t complicated. The heir apparent, who is built like a dream offensive tackle but preferred beating a bass drum to getting his head beaten on — wise lad — was, that Friday night, a part of the Senior Night festivities at Tampa Catholic High.

Now, I’m a big fan of the traditional reunion first night mingle, but Senior Night happens just once a lifetime. So, while my classmates were snacking on hors d’oeuvres and reacquainting with one another, the redoubtable Debbie and I escorted The Boy to midfield for polite applause and photographs, then settled in for the Crusaders’ annual drubbing by the Jesuit Tigers.

Even then, however, it never crossed my mind we wouldn’t go. Never mind the event site was nearly an hour away in Indian Rocks Beach, and that most everybody — because we have achieved a certain vulnerable age — would have packed it in.

After the final horn, we caught up with The Boy to say our farewells and reiterate our expectations — he was about to be home alone for the next 36 hours or so; it would be excellent if he didn’t burn the place down. And then we set off. Finally, close to midnight, we arrived to find a healthy collection of stragglers around tables near an outdoor bar.

Here’s another perspective of, from left, Robert Harrison, Rose Campisi and Lois Snow at the 45th reunion of the King High School Class of 1971.
Here’s another perspective of, from left, Robert Harrison, Rose Campisi and Lois Snow at the 45th reunion of the King High School Class of 1971.

Just as I was about to attribute this lingering to alcohol-fueled inertia, someone sang out one of the sweetest phrases known to humans. “There you are! We’ve been waiting for you!”

To be clear: I was not one of the cool kids, exactly. I was a perpetual ’tweener: Not quite an athlete (I was a football placekicker), not quite a scholar, not quite a politician (though I ran frequently, I lost routinely), never (ever) a stoner. I was fringy, associated with lots of groups, rarely occupying the center of any.

Once upon a time, I was not the guy two dozen of the happening kids would have waited to catch up with. Not just in high school, but certainly not at the 10-year or, probably, even the 20-year reunions.

But time — with our class, anyway, and I expect it’s this way with most — peels away clique structures. As the years mount, and the memories fade, we warm to those who shared our coming-of-age experience. This strikes me as against the odds, but the phenomenon is real.

Public high schools throw together collections of kids from backgrounds, family structures, socioeconomic status, ethnicities and ambitions so varied, each and everyone of them could serve as a sociologist’s dream laboratory.

Then there’s the expectation this random population ultimately will gain sophisticated academic knowledge while developing the skills necessary to become suitable human beings — all while coping with surging hormones and awkward bodies. It has proved an imperfect system.

Indeed, it’s a wonder any of us emerge still talking to each other, let alone regarding ourselves as friends. For life. But, we do. People are weird.

And so we gathered, 60-some-odd of us out of a class of more than 500 (admittedly, we need to recruit better). We came together to remember the good times, smooth over some of the bad, refuse to talk politics (on the weekend before Election Day) and to ignore, as well as we could, the passage of years.

Anybody who’s attended a high school reunion past the age of 50 knows the joke: Who invited all these old people?

Well. That might have made the rounds last time we gathered, but nobody uttered it all weekend. This is not definitive, of course. Super hearing is not among my powers.

Maybe the reason I didn’t hear it is because, frankly, for a bunch of folks staring down the barrel of full retirement age, we looked pretty good.

With the possible exception of your humble correspondent, the Class of 1971 has held up exceptionally well. Despite the gray (or white) hair — or lack of same — the full-time eye gear, and the lines of wisdom etched on our faces, it was still possible to detect a twinkle of the kids we were all those years ago.

There is a freshening, too, in reliving old stories. One talked about the summer he picked tobacco in North Carolina — dirty, backbreaking work — and another before our senior year when he and two football teammates acted as counselors in a Blue Ridge Mountains camp run by our head coach.

Then, Sunday night, after we’d dispersed to the lives we’ve fashioned apart from each other, I got a private message from this very classmate who, inspired by the gathering and the photos it produced, joined Facebook to enroll in our online family.

This is not someone who wears his sentiments on his sleeve. In fact, well-suited to his chosen field — engineering — he is the essence of reticence. He studies. He analyzes. So when he speaks, people lean in, as I did when this uncharacteristically revealing assertion popped up:

Getting the gang back together wasn’t just a weekend well-spent, he wrote. It made him feel 20 years younger.

It made me realize I’d felt springier in my steps, too. Somehow, a weekend among my high school mates stirred the optimistic, idealistic kid within.

He’s still there. All he needed was a little nudge from the past. Which brings me to a recommendation for others weighing the high school reunion stay-or-go question.

Go, by all means.

It turns out marinating in memories can be your own Fountain of Youth.

Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email .

Published November 16, 2016

 

Gratitude for two pups named Buddy and Travis

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I’m at that sweet spot in my life when my time is truly my own. My children are young adults with their own homes and families, and while we talk almost daily, I see my son and daughter just a few times a year because of distance, work and other commitments.

But, this does not mean I am alone. Instead of living with two children, I now live with two dogs — a beagle named Buddy and an Airedale terrier named Travis.

Travis, front, and Buddy lounge in their Land O’ Lakes home. (Courtesy of Diane Kortus)
Travis, front, and Buddy lounge in their Land O’ Lakes home.
(Courtesy of Diane Kortus)

Believe me, this was not how I envisioned my life after kids. In fact, I always believed after the family dogs that my children grew up with had passed on, I would live a dog-free life with no one depending on me for their daily existence.

I fantasized how luxurious it would feel to be out with friends and not worry about getting home to walk and feed the dogs. I relished the thought of sleeping late Saturday morning, without a dog’s cold nose nuzzling me to get up to feed him and let him out.

But, my fantasy was just that — a dream that fortunately was not meant to be.

My reality of a dog-free life lasted just two months after I lost Jonas a year ago. Jonas was my 10-year-old, much-loved Airedale that I had nursed through cancer treatments in the hope that he’d be with me for several more years.

But, when his cancer came back, it was just a few weeks before the tumors traveled to his brain, and I held him in my arms as he died.

If you ever lost a pet, you know how painful and empty that feels. And, you’ll understand why many people decide against getting another pet — because they don’t believe they can’t bear the pain of losing another four-legged companion.

Well, that was me.

After Jonas died, I had no plans to replace him. Instead, I wanted to give back to the Sunshine Airdalers of Florida — the rescue group that allowed me to adopt Jonas seven years earlier. I volunteered to transport dogs being surrendered, and offered to foster dogs for a week or two until their “forever” home was found.

It wasn’t long after agreeing to be a foster home that I was asked to take in Chomps, whose owner since he was a puppy was giving him up for adoption because of changes in his family.

Chomps was a handsome, 80-pound, 6-year-old who sat by my door patiently waiting for his master to return. After two days, Chomps finally refocused his attention on me, and within the week we had fallen for each other.

And, that’s how Chomps became my “foster failure.” I changed his name to Travis (could there be any worse name for a dog than Chomps?), and a year later there isn’t a sweeter, kinder, happier dog.

Except for Buddy, that is.

Two weeks before Travis found his way to my home, I had adopted Buddy, a 10-year-old beagle from the Humane Society of Tampa. I met Buddy at an adoption event and marveled at the dog’s good nature and air of confidence — despite the fact that all but one of Buddy’s teeth had been extracted because of terribly infected gums.

Between Buddy’s lack of teeth, and his very senior status, the folks at the Humane Society said Buddy had been in the shelter for several months because most people are looking for a young dog with no health issues. They said if I could open my heart and home to Buddy, there was no sweeter dog in their care that deserved a second chance.

After I was assured that a little warm water to soften his kibbles was the only special care Buddy needed, I brought him home to Land O’ Lakes. When Travis showed up a few weeks later, Buddy, with his shelter experience living with dozens of dogs, didn’t seem to mind. Within days, the two dogs settled into a mostly peaceful, co-existence routine.

I share my stories of Travis and Buddy in the hopes that it may encourage at least one reader to open their home and heart to adopting an older dog. As adorable as puppies can be, most people don’t realize how much time and work they are. Older pups, like Travis and Buddy, will be calmer, already housebroken and most likely trained to walk on a leash.

But, the biggest benefit is the unconditional love a hard-to-adopt pet will give you. My dogs show their affection and loyalty every day, and help keep my life centered and balanced.

Someday, I hope you will see the bumper sticker, “Who rescued who?” — and it will make your heart leap in gratitude, as it does mine.

Published November 9, 2016

 

Beach House to offer assisted living in Wesley Chapel

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Beach House Wiregrass Ranch is some distance from the seashore. But, the senior-living community in style and design will evoke the “good memories of the times families spend together,” according to Allan Brown Jr., co-owner of Prevarian Senior Living.

Brown and Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore were among about a dozen people who attended the groundbreaking for Beach House on Nov. 1.

Beach House Wiregrass Ranch is a senior living community that will have about 100 residents in assisted living apartments for memory care suites. (Courtesy of Prevarian Senior Living)
Beach House Wiregrass Ranch is a senior living community that will have about 100 residents in assisted living apartments for memory care suites.
(Courtesy of Prevarian Senior Living)

The two-story, approximately 93,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in December 2017. It will be the third Beach House to open in Florida. Others are in Jacksonville and Naples.

“As the population grows in Wesley Chapel and Pasco County, there is a huge need for this assisted living facility,” said Moore, who previously owned a home health care business. “We don’t want to have to drive to Tampa and Hillsborough County to see our loved ones.”

Indeed, Wesley Chapel’s growth is a major reason company owners opted to build on a large parcel fronting State Road 56, at Hueland Pond Boulevard at Wiregrass Ranch.

The area is “amenity rich. It’s very family oriented with a lot of services like restaurants and shops,” said Brown.

Beach House is a short distance east of The Shops at Wiregrass, and the Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus.

Allan Brown Jr. (center in sunglasses), co-owner of Prevarian Senior Living, shovels dirt at the groundbreaking for Beach House Wiregrass Ranch, a senior living community that will open in 2017. Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore (next to Brown) and Hope Allen (in red), executive director of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, also shovel dirt. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Allan Brown Jr. (center in sunglasses), co-owner of Prevarian Senior Living, shovels dirt at the groundbreaking for Beach House Wiregrass Ranch, a senior living community that will open in 2017. Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore (next to Brown) and Hope Allen (in red), executive director of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, also shovel dirt.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

Restaurants, the Tampa Premium Outlets and the anticipated Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex also are nearby.

Beach House is an up-to-date living environment that supports senior living, but shouldn’t be confused with a nursing home, Brown said.

“We support health care needs, but we’re not a health care provider,” he added.

For health care, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is a nearby resource.

The senior community will have 67 alcove-style, one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartments for assisted living, and 33 suites for memory care residents with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Residents will have a restaurant-style dining room, as well as a private dining room for family events. There also will be an activities room, salon and spa, a theater, and outdoor living areas.

Beach House Wiregrass Ranch also will have an Extended Congregate Care (ECC) license to allow long-term residency for aging residents, who can access additional health care as needed.

Published November 9, 2016

Distinguished rabbi speaks on interfaith relations

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A renowned rabbi, known affectionately as “the Pope’s rabbi,” thinks significant improvements have been made on the relationship between Catholics and Jews.

That religious leader — Rabbi Abraham Skorka, of Buenos Aires, Argentina — visited Saint Leo University on Nov. 1 for a series of public discussions on interreligious dialogue.

Skorka cultivated a friendship with Pope Francis in the mid-1990s, when Pope Francis was known as Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio. Together, the men wrote the book, “On Heaven and Earth,” published in 2010.

Rabbi Abraham Skorka, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, visited Saint Leo University on Nov. 1 for a series of speaking engagements on interfaith dialogue. (Courtesy of Amanda Topper)
Rabbi Abraham Skorka, of Buenos Aires, Argentina, visited Saint Leo University on Nov. 1 for a series of speaking engagements on interfaith dialogue.
(Courtesy of Amanda Topper)

The book is based on more than 30 TV shows they co-hosted in Argentina.

The 66-year-old Skorka described his association with Pope Francis as “a real friendship.”

“The relationship between us is not a political relationship,” Skorka said. “We share a common value — we speak openly from one to another.”

During the speaking engagement, Skorka heaped praise on Pope Francis, calling him an “extraordinary personality.”

“He tries to perform a real change in humanity,” he said. “He has spiritual courage.”

Deep dialogue, the rabbi said, is crucial to continuing to cultivate positive relationships between Christians and Jews.

“I do consider that there undoubtedly have been great improvements, but…dialogue depends on individuals. It’s not just a movement, but it depends on a great measure on the doing of individuals,” Skorka said.

He added: “If, in the future, we have people who have a great commitment in the concept of dialogue, then yes, we will go ahead.”

He added that Catholic-Jewish relations in the United States are “at a very good level.

“You already have organizations working on the theme,” he said, “and this is very important.”

However, Skorka said he’s witnessed a recent decrease in people practicing what he calls real faith, or living a “deep, religious life.”

He asked: “How many people are really living in a deep sense of religiosity?”

“We don’t really have great models — religious teachers. We are in need of them,” he said.

During his visit, Skorka was honored with the Eternal Light Award, which recognizes those who have made “outstanding contributions” to Catholic-Jewish relations. He was the award’s 13th recipient, presented by the Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies at Saint Leo University.

Matthew Tapie, the center’s director, also believes the relationship between Catholics and Jews “has become stronger” during the past two decades.

It’s partly due to the impact made by the late Pope John Paul II, Tapie said.

Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005, became the first pope known to have made an official papal visit to a synagogue, when he visited the Great Synagogue of Rome, in 1986. Additionally, he was the first pope to visit the German Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, and often paid homage to Holocaust victims.

“His work is viewed by the Jewish community as enhancing the relationship between Jews and Catholics,” Tapie said.

Tapie said scholars feel the interfaith relationship can progress through interfaith partnerships for social justice action to help oppressed people.

“Part of the healing of relationships…has been Catholics being able to come to terms with a history of (Jewish) persecution,” Tapie said. “Insofar, the relationship is on the way to healing. There’s forgiveness, and forgiveness about a particular thing —persecution.”

Ida Margolis, who chairs GenShoah Southwest Florida, an organization for children of Holocaust survivors, agreed.

“It’s not just words, it’s deeds,” said Margolis.

“It’s the idea of getting to know one another,” she added.

Published November 9, 2016

Learning Gate dishes up a garden party

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Learning Gate Community School threw a garden party and invited its friends.

More than 80 parents, local garden club members and community leaders shared a luncheon feast in a glade beneath the branches of an ancient oak tree.

A short stroll away, fifth-graders guided lunch guests on a tour of the school’s working garden.

Anna Mitchell, 10, in headband, and Emily Slean, 10, explain Ceylon spinach to Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan and Principal Michelle Mason. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)
Anna Mitchell, 10, in headband, and Emily Slean, 10, explain Ceylon spinach to Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan and Principal Michelle Mason.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

Kindergarteners through fifth-graders also entertained at the luncheon with songs about nature and Mother Earth.

The annual event, in its third year, brought the school family and the community together to take a peek at what Learning Gate is all about.

“It’s so nice to see people come into our world and see what we’re doing here,” said Principal Michelle Mason.

Learning Gate abides by the motto, “Nature is our best teacher,” and has received a national award for its EcoFest, held each year at Lowry Park Zoo.

“It’s kind of like a secret, a hidden jewel here,” said Michelle Northrup, marketing and parent involvement facilitator. “Our students work in the garden everyday. We do a lot of projects, based on hands-on learning.”

The charter school for kindergarten through sixth grade is tucked away in a wooded area off Hanna Road in Lutz. A school campus for seventh and eighth grades is on Lutz Lake Fern Road.

The school’s hands-on approach can help students build confidence.

Gabrielle Cruz and Alejandro Armstrong and cherries Gabrielle Cruz, 10, and Alejandro Armstrong, 10, got a cool assignment to talk about a Jamaica cherry tree on a warm day at the Learning Gate garden party.
Gabrielle Cruz and Alejandro Armstrong and cherries
Gabrielle Cruz, 10, and Alejandro Armstrong, 10, got a cool assignment to talk about a Jamaica cherry tree on a warm day at the Learning Gate garden party.

“We provide an atmosphere where they are able to explore who they really are,” said Adam Wolford, assistant principal. “This is something that really sticks with them.”

Ten-year-olds Anna Mitchell and Emily Slean said they tend small gardens at home.

They said the school garden offers a fun way to learn.

“We don’t just have to look it up in a book,” Mitchell said.

“We’re always ready to get our hands dirty,” Slean said. Besides, she added, “I love the things that are eatable.”

The classmates gave luncheon guests the rundown on Ceylon spinach, which they explained has medicinal uses and also can be used in soups and salads.

Ten-year-olds Griffin Vazquez and Ezekiel Udozorh handed out samples of freshly brewed hibiscus tea to guests touring the garden. They also took turns giving a plant lesson on the hibiscus acetosella, which can be found in the Dominican Republic and Zambia, and can lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

“They see how the world works, how food is put on the table,” said Wolford.

Chayton Martin and Kiersten Stevens, also both 10, handed out mint leaves, which smell nice, but aren’t good to eat. The plant does have eatable tubers, however, they explained.

Eighth-graders Preston Fischer, left, and Caleb McAllister perform as guests dine under an oak tree at the Learning Gate garden party.
Eighth-graders Preston Fischer, left, and Caleb McAllister perform as guests dine under an oak tree at the Learning Gate garden party.

Ten-year-olds Alejandro Armstrong and Gabrielle Cruz drew a cool assignment on a warm day under a Jamaica cherry tree.

Evan Hill and Cole Vakil, both 10 years old, handed out Seminole pumpkin seeds.  The pumpkin can be used in many recipes, they said.

“This is a really weird one – mac n’ cheese,” Hill said.

Ten-year-olds Kaylie Gagne and Skye Sharpe stood under the shade of a moringa tree, whose tiny leaves are filled with vitamins and make great additions to salads.

“It’s very healthy for you,” Gagne said.

D.J. Rivera and Jacob Koenig, both age 10, handled the “star fruit” tour.

Parents Jamie Meyer and Nicole Rametta sampled the sweet tasting fruit, cut into stars.

“I think it’s wonderful,” said Rametta. “It gives the community members a chance to see how knowledgeable the kids are.”

Published November 9, 2016

Pasco to help homeless ‘navigate’ to better lives

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Pasco County is exploring a new program to address the needs of the homeless population. It would provide a one-stop location to provide shelter, and an array of services and resources for homeless individuals.

County officials are proposing to remodel two vacant buildings at 8239 Youth Lane in Port Richey, formerly the home of a Boys & Girls Club. Described as a “navigation center,” the site would be able to house up to 100 homeless people at a time, and be a central location for nonprofits and other agencies to provide “wraparound services.”

County officials provided Pasco County commissioners with a presentation on the program at the Oct. 24 meeting in New Port Richey. In a 4-1 vote, commissioners agreed to pursue the program, potentially as a 2018 budget item.

“It’s a chance to take a step forward. It’s a chance to give these people a hand up,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore. “One of the things you don’t see is a facility like this in Pasco County. We’ve got to move forward on this.”

The commissioner serves as chairman of a citizen’s advisory board with the Coalition for Homeless in Pasco County.

Estimates put remodeling costs for the vacant buildings at about $1 million. County officials plan to pursue state funding.

Annual operating cost would be about $600,000, with funds from public and private resources.

The program is modeled after one adopted in San Francisco. County officials also are looking at other programs, including ones in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

About 4,500 people are homeless in Pasco, with about 800 chronically homeless. According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, there are more than 100 homeless camps countywide.

Individuals stake out camps often in wooded areas all over the county, including west Pasco, Zephyrhills and Dade City, sheriff’s data shows.

Chase Daniels, assistant executive director of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, said, “Having one of these low-barrier shelters would be a game changer in Pasco County.”

Bob Dillinger, public defender in Pinellas and Pasco counties, said more than 30 percent of homeless in Pasco are children. Perceptions of homeless people often are wrong, he said.

“They want a job. They want a safe place to live,” Dillinger said.

One homeless camp at a time would be relocated to the navigation center where people can live while case managers from various agencies provide counseling, job training, health care and educational resources. The end goal is creating a pathway to permanent housing.

The location for the navigation center met with some opposition.

Pasco County Commissioner Jack Mariano cast the lone vote against the proposal and lobbied in favor of the Mike Fasano Regional Hurricane Shelter in Hudson.

“I would like to see us doing a full look,” he said. “If there’s other alternatives, I want to look at those alternatives.”

The hurricane shelter already is equipped to accommodate groups of people, and has a full kitchen, he said.

Greg Phillips, chief executive officer of a nonprofit, Kids Kicking High, also asked commissioners to consider allowing his program to occupy the space at the former Boys & Girls Club. The program offers before and after school classes with a focus on martial arts, and is located off Little Road in New Port Richey.

Sandra Butler’s 8-year-old autistic son recently earned his white belt at Kids Kicking High. “That’s a big accomplishment for him,” she said. “This is a big need for our community.”

While county officials described the navigation center as being secluded, some area area residents expressed concerns during public comment that the navigation center would increase crime in their neighborhood.

County officials hope to dispel those concerns.

“The homeless are here,” said Cathy Pearson, the county’s assistant county administrator for public services. “It’s better to have a place for them than to have them loitering at your business or your lawn.”

Published November 9, 2016

Proposed Bexley Elementary boundaries raise concerns

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Parents raised concerns about potential impacts from proposed boundaries for Bexley Elementary at a Nov. 1 meeting at Oakstead Elementary School.

Parents raised questions about such issues as school choice, transportation and programming for the new school, which draws its name from a subdivision under construction off State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes.

The new school, set to open in the fall, for the 2017-2018 school year, will provide relief for both Odessa and Oakstead elementary schools, which are operating well above capacity. Odessa is at 131 percent capacity, and Oakstead is at 144 percent. The proposed boundaries will also expand Lake Myrtle Elementary, an older school operating at about 80 percent capacity.

Some parents were dismayed at the likelihood their children will be rezoned to Lake Myrtle, a “B” rated school built in 1984.

This is what Bexley Elementary will look like upon its completion.(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)
This is what Bexley Elementary will look like upon its completion.(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

“I know their school rating isn’t as high as Oakstead Elementary,” said Sarah Davis, whose daughter will attend Lake Myrtle. “I don’t know much about it, so all I can do is my research online, and since it’s not as great as a school, my concern is that she won’t get the help that she needs that’s she’s already getting.”

Dave Scanga, area superintendent for Central Pasco schools, said Lake Myrtle is “a great school.”

“It is an older building,” Scanga said, however, he added, “in terms of the traditions that Lake Myrtle has had, for a long time it’s always been top-notch.”

“I think all of our schools are good,” added Richard Tonello, planning supervisor for Pasco County Schools. “Maybe grades aren’t a reflection of the school. You go to any of our schools, you’re going to see a great group of teachers, and they’re going to look after your child.”

Other parents expressed frustration over Bexley’s current unknowns, such as staffing dynamics and school schedule.

Scanga said potential teachers will be identified in March and April, after a new principal is named in December and assumes duties in February.

“A lot will happen once we get to February, and then it’s the (principal’s) job to let them play out the rest of the hiring and selection.”

He added: “As we get closer to the start of school, there will be all sorts of opportunities for people to come in, see the building and meet the people that are going to be in the building, too.”

Betsy Kuhn, assistant superintendent Pasco County Schools, anticipates several teachers from both Odessa and Oakstead to be reassigned to Bexley.

“It’s a very exciting opportunity for teachers to come in to open a new school, so we typically have a lot of interest,” Kuhn said.

“I think you’ll have a lot of interest from teachers outside our system, in our system, both experienced and new,” she added.

Sorting out transportation issues, too, was another focus of the hour-long meeting.

Scanga said bus routes will be reconfigured to accommodate the new school.

The Pasco County School Board provides free transportation to and from school for students who live more than 2 miles away from school.

Students who are selected to choose a particular school through open enrollment must provide their own transportation.

Pasco County’s school choice open enrollment period runs from Feb. 1 to March 1, for the 2017-2018 school year. Final determinations are expected around April or May. Extenuating circumstances and family hardships will also be considered, school officials said.

For example, students entering the fifth grade may have a greater chance to remain at their current school depending on the influx of school choice requests.

“It’s hard to make a decision until they know exactly how many students are requested,” said Chris Williams, planning services director for Pasco County Schools. “In every past experience, we’ve been able to accommodate fifth graders.”

“It’s a process we go through…to try to accommodate as much as we can,” he added.

Scanga said he understands the frustration from parents, especially those who deliberately moved to a particular community for their children to attend a certain school.

“School rezoning always catches many people off guard,” said Scanga, “and also in terms of not getting what we had planned for, or hoped for.”

Scanga also noted: “One of the challenges we have—and it’s unique—is just how fast the growth is happening right here on the 54 corridor. We’re like ground zero. Much of Florida, like much of the country, just doesn’t have this challenge…of how do we continually provide the best education to children in the best facility possible.”

Last month, a boundary committee recommended boundaries for Bexley Elementary.

The committee selected an option that would include Ballantrae, Suncoast Meadows, Suncoast Pointe, Hayman/Fuentes, Meadowbrook/Sierra Pines, and all of Bexley, which are east of the Suncoast Parkway.

Bexley Elementary also would include Swan View Townhomes, Ivy Lake Estates and Toscano at Suncoast, which are west of the Suncoast Parkway.

At nearly 96,000 square feet, the new school will have a capacity of 878 students, and is expected to have 706 students.

Oakstead, which had 1,095 enrolled students is expected to have 765 students, under the proposed boundaries. Odessa, which had 1,000 students, is expected to have 780, and Lake Myrtle, which had 587 students, is expected to have 616.

Students that would be shifting from Oakstead to Lake Myrtle live in these areas: Morsani, Woodville Palms, Cambridge/Lake Linda, Oakstead Area South, Cypress Cove/Village on the Pond, Meadowview/Country Close and Foxwood/Lake Heron.

The school board is scheduled to hold its first public hearing on the proposed boundaries on Dec. 20 and its second public hearing on Jan. 17, when it is expected to make the final decision on the issue.

While the committee recommends the boundaries, the Pasco County School Board has the final word on where the lines should be drawn.

Boundary guidelines are based on a number of factors, including future growth and capacity, socio-economic balance, school feeder patterns, and transportation.

“All of these guidelines we use, it’s a little bit of a balancing act,” Tonello said.

Bexley Elementary is the first of several schools (additional elementary schools, middle school and high school) planned within the Bexley development.

When those schools are built depends on the amount of growth within the community, as well as the amount of capital funding available, Williams said.

He noted the school district has accumulated nearly $500 million in debt capital, a hurdle in building new schools.

“One of the things that we struggle with as a district is our capital funding,” Williams said. “We are constrained—we can’t always build where we want to because of funding. It might mean adding a classroom wing at an existing school.”

Construction costs for Bexley Elementary total about $20 million.

For more information, visit PascoSchools.org/planning/rezoning.

Published November 9, 2016